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Dad's wisdom

April 22, 2013

Before the creation of my blog, there was another. One that was so inspiring, so informational, and just so pleasing that it inspired me to create my own. That blog, was my family blog.
Well, I guess it really wasn't all that. It was more of just a place where my family updated everyone on their lives. There are twelve of us, you know. Well about a year ago (or so), the family blog kind of died, or went dormant. People just stopped posting on the family blog. Most of us got our own family blogs and got really busy.
At a family reunion during Thanksgiving, we brought up said blog and came up with a plan to save it. The plan failed. Then Mom and Dad just took over. The blog was saved! It's been really fun to keep up with my siblings and parents again, especially since Mom and Dad hardly ever posted in the past. Now I feel like they're really motivated and they post every week, with one or two siblings during the week.
Yesterday was a particularly good post from my dad that I wanted to share. Basically, it's a to-do list for marriage. Having been married for 40+ years, I feel like my parents know a couple of things about being married. Whether you're religious or not, a lot of these suggestions are good to practice. Here's what my dad said:

1.Choose not to fight. A fight requires two combatants. If you choose not to fight there will be no fight.2. Meet each other's needs. Sometimes you will have to put your own needs on hold until later.3. The wife's duty to her husband is to build up his confidence. She does this by showing faith in his ability to provide and in never belittling him or complaining about what she does not have in the way of worldly things.4. The husband's responsibility to his wife is to care for, provide for, nurture and protect her, and to encourage her in well doing. He must never belittle her nor make light of that which is important to her.5. Life is a test. The question the Lord asks is how much faith and trust you put in him. Your actions and the desires of your hearts will provide the answer.6. You are no longer two people but one. Decisions must be decided together. If you are not in agreement, this only means you need to keep talking.7. Refuse to invest your ego in any disagreement. Be willing to compromise.8. Remember that the husband is to preside "in righteousness." Power struggles are not righteous.9. Continue to communicate to resolve differences.10. Admit to your imperfections and work to improve.11. It is proper to confess your own sins. It is improper to confess each other's sins. Choose not to do it—ever.12. Mutually agree to never do anything within the walls of your home that would drive the spirit out. Better to take bitterness outside than to allow it to infect the spirit of your home.13. Pray together morning and night.14. Read the scriptures daily.15. Do whatever theprophetssay to do.16. Tell each other you love each other by often saying out loud in the other's presence, "I love you."

I can personally vouch for this list. One positive of being the youngest of so many kids is that by the time I came along, Mom and Dad had pretty much everything worked out. I got to see a lot of quiet acts of service between my parents and heard them tell each other "I love you," pretty often. Yup! I'm one lucky kid! I hope I can be just as good as an example for my children.
Good luck friends! Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you on Wednesday!